Tag: Family
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oddity and character
[warning: here you will get a little glimpse into my philosophical nature; what stimulates my thought processes, the complexity and oddity.] This morning I read, “No man is born either naturally or supernaturally with character, he has to make character” (O. Chambers, 1935). The nature of evil has permeated my thoughts for many decades, as…
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my paragon
That would be Erma Bombeck. I’ve had a desire to emulate her style of writing since experiencing motherhood firsthand. My sister even sent me information to enter the contest held in her honor, but being in the middle of some life crisis or other, it didn’t happen. Hoping to be inspired again, I treated myself…
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happy monday
Last week was a bit difficult for me. In writing my other blog, I dredged up memories I thought I had processed and moved forward from. As I typed out my family experiences growing up, and the clinical applications of addictive families, I was surprised at becoming so emotional. Allowing my mind to wander among…
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goals / aspirations / dreams
I’ve been goal oriented, type A, for as long as I can remember. I was going to change the world, or at least be in the forefront. It hasn’t happened. After too many decades, I see still abounding: poverty, injustice, political deceitful quagmires, broken relationships, declining education, mental illness, family dysfunction, etc. It’s become time…
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flu like symptoms
WARNING: the following is quite gross If you think cleaning up after children is an unpleasant task, imagine what it like for an adult not making it to the loo in time….
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advent: carols
Christmas Day 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 57 year old widowed father of six children, the oldest nearly paralyzed during the civil war, wrote a poem capturing the dissonance in his own heart and in the world around him. This timeless carol is one of my favorites. May you also find hope and peace this day.…
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advent: precursor
“He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents…” (Malachi 4:6) These words, the last in the Old Testament, echo the hope and heart cry of so many, even more poignantly in this season of waiting. The verses also provide a segue to the New Testament…
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advent: family trees
Especially this time of year, projections of happy, marvelous relationship with friends and family abound, conflicting with the reality many of us are living. Our family trees are complicated, messy, the bonds seemingly unresolvable. Pondering these incongruities, I read about the heritage and life of Jesus. His family tree includes: foreign women, non-Jewish women, public…
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advent: living in darkness
We must accept darkness surrounds our lives, acknowledging this earthly darkness will never go away. We must also remain hopeful, shining a light in the darkness (hunger, poverty, contentiousness, killings from womb to tomb, etc). This is not giving in. Hope is transformation through the risen Christ. We must receive this Light, then spread this…
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the problem of christmas
I have fond memories of Christmas past, from my family of origin, as well as with my young family. But then, a while back, problems began within Christendom. Traditional symbols connected up to pagan rites, a portion of believers condemned, and indeed did not participate in Christmas celebrations. As I scaled back my over-the-board enthusiasm,…
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